1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a telescopic cover used for protecting a feeding mechanism of an X-Y table, in a machine tool, from the chips generated and the machining fluid used in a machining process.
2. Description of the Related Art
A cutting machine tool, for example, a vertical milling machine, cuts a workpiece mounted on an X-Y table into a desired shape by a rotating cutting tool with the workpiece fed along a tool travel path by the X-Y table. The X-Y table may comprise a saddle mounted on a column slidable along X- or Y-axis and a table mounted on the saddle slidable along the Y- or X-axis. The X-Y table further comprises a feeding mechanism, for feeding the table and saddle, which comprises, for example, ball screws and liner guides extending in X- and Y-directions.
A telescopic cover has been used for protecting the feeding mechanism from the chips generated and the machining fluid used in a machining process. The prior art telescopic cover is provided over the feeding mechanism. The telescopic cover comprises a plurality of cover members which are provided on either side of the saddle or table and are telescopically retractable along X- or Y-axis to be continuously presented over the feeding mechanism when the saddle or table moves along X- or Y-axis.
The end cover members in the prior art telescopic cover are fixedly provided with bearing and guiding the movable cover members, and do not function to protect the feeding mechanism from the chips and the machining fluid. Therefore, the prior art telescopic cover has room for improvement to remove the fixed cover members. Further, the chips are collected around the fixed guide members.
It is desirable to remove the end cover members provided only as a bearing and guiding means. However, the removal of the end cover members impairs the movement of the movable cover members.